Trolley reel



Aug. 25. 1925.

TROLLEY REEL Fileduuly 5o, 192:5

W. E. NEWNAM Eu/em MAL/AWE. {Yan/mm 4 Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

WILLIAM E. NE'VVNAM, OF COLLINSVILIE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONALLEAD COMPANY, F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TROLLEY REEL.

Application `filed .Tu1y 30, 1923. SerialI No. 654,689.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, 'WILLIAM E. `Nnw- NAM, acitizen of the United States, and

residing at Collinsville, county of-Madison, State of Illinois, haveinvented the new and useful Improvement .in Trolley Reels, of which thefollowing is a speciiicaton.

Ths invention relates in general to a flexi-v ble connection between asource of electric current and some current utilizing` device which ismovable relatively to the source, and. more particularly to a reel fortaking up the slack in a flexible conductorfor supplying a trolleytruck.

One ot the objects of this invention `1s to provide a reel which willeiiectively, take up the slack in a cable supplying a moving truclr orsimilar device. i

Another object ot this invention is to pro-- vide such a reel which willnot only take up the slack in the cable, but which will mainfVtainelectrieal connection between the power utilizing device and thesource of supply.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide improved means formaintaining goodL electrical connections throughout the nieve` ment ofthe reel.

Further objects will appear from the detail description'talren inconnection with the accompanying,- drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a reel enr bodying this invention; and iFigure 2 is a central vertical section of thel same. f

Referring tothe accompanying' drawing, 1 designates a base or pedestaladapted for mounting on any suitable support on the moving truck.Mounted in the base 1 is a vertically supported tube 2 forming a stand"ard to support the reel. This standard carries at its top a bearing 3within which a vertical spindle 4 is mounted for rotation on averticalaxis. `The spindle 4 carriesat its upper enda carrier 5 upon which acable drum 6 is mounted for rotation as willf be hereinafter more 'fullydescribed. By this construction the drum 6 may revolve on a horizontalaxis on the carrier 5, and the carrier itselil `may revolve about avertical axis on the spindle 4, so that the cable 7 may be reeled oil ofor on the drum from any direction. The spindle 4 is in the shape of ahollow tube working' in the bearing 8 at the top and provided with aplug 8 at its bottom having' a bearing in the base 1 as shown in Figure2. Means for conducting electric current to the utilizing device mountedon the truck, are mounted on the standard 2 and the spindle 4. Thespindle 4 is provided with a metal ring 9 surrounding the spindle andfixed thereto by means of a pin 10 or `other suitable fastening'.Resting on the ring 9 is an insulating ring 1l of libre or othersuitable insulating material which is provided with a recess-adapted toreceive a metallic contact ring 12. A. second insulating ring 13recessed to correspond with the ring' 11 is placed over the 4ring 12, sothat the latter will be seated in the recesses in both ring-s asillustrated in Figure 2. The ring' 13 is provided with a second recessadapted to receive a second contact ring- 14 and a third insulating-ringl54 correspondingly recessed is `placed over the ring 14. A second metalring 16 may then be placed upon the ring' 15. A bearing block 17 is nextplaced over the spindle `and upon the ring 16 and carries the bearing'3. When the bearing` S has been assembled, the head 1S is placedthereupon and linally the base 19 or' the carrier 5 is threaded onto theend ofthe spindle and down upon the head 18. ,As the base 19 is screweddown, all of the various rings described are crowded one upon the otheragainst the iXed ring 9, and

thus serve to clamp the contact rings 12 `and 14 irmly in their recessesin the insulating rings 11, 13 and The contact rings 12 and 14 are thussecurely mounted on but insulated from the spindle and are adapted torotate therewith.

y An insulating plug' 20 of libre or other suitable material is placedwithin the spindle 4 and seated against the pin 10. This plug isrecessed to receive a metallic connector 21`connected by a stud 22 tothe contactring l2, this stud being' suitably `hushed to insalate thesame where it passes through the wall of the spindle 4. A secondinsulating` 4plug 23 is seated` on the `first plug' 2O and recessed toreceive aconnector 24 similar to the connector 21 and similarlyconnected to the contact ring 14. Insulated conductors 25 and 2G passdownwardly withinV the spindle 4 so as to connect with the connectors 21and 24respectively, the conductor 25 passing through the block 23 toreach the connector 21 as illustrated in Figure 2 Mounted in insulatingbushings 27 are a pair of sliding contacts or brushes 28 and 29 adaptedto contact respectively with the rings 12 and 14 .so asto carry thecurrent from said rings to the insulated conductors 30 and 31 Which areconnected to the brushes 28 and 29 and serve to convey the current tothe utilizing device on the truck. The brushes 28 and 29 are providedwith insulating heads 32 adapted to receive the pressure of contactsprings 33 while insulating the brushes therefrom.

The bearing block 17 is adapted to seat in the upper endof the standard2and is fixed in place therein by means of pins 34 or other suitablefastening. The spindle is thus adapted to turn in the bearing 3 andguided by the plug 8 in its bearing in the base 1, and during suchrotation the brushes 28 and 29 willslide on the contact rings 12 and 14,being held in firm Contact therewith by the springs 33 so as to provideeilicient and reliable current collecting devices.

'The base 19 is provided with end brachets 35 machined withrecesses toreceive a pair of up-rights 36, the base and up-rights togethercomprising' the carrier v5. An axle 37 having squared ends 38 is fixedin the up-rights 36. This axle carries bearings. 39

upon which a drum 6having barrel 40 and side plates or flanges 41 isadapted to rotate.

Mounted upon each of the side plates 41 and surrounding the bearing 39is an insulating washer 42. Mounted on each of the 11p-rights 36 is adished plate or housing 43 and mounted on the interior of each housing43 is an insulating washer 44. Mounted so as to surround the bearing 39and between the insulating washers 42 and 44 is a barrel 45 ofinsulating material. Mounted on the housing plate 43 but within thewasher 44' and surrounding the barrel 45 is a metallic Contact ring 46.This ring is connected by a suitable stud 47 passing throughbutinsulated from the housing plate 43, with an insulated conductor 48passing downwardly along the up-rights 36 and through a suitableinsulating .bushing 49 to the interior of the base 19 Where it isconnected with one of the lconductors 25 and 26, a second contact 'ring50 being mounted upon the barrel 45 and bearing against the ring 46throughout its circumference. The ring 50 has fixed thereto a conductor51 connected by means of any suitable connector 52 with one of theconductors 53 of the cable 7. The conductor 51serves both to convey thecurrent to or from the ring 50' and also to mechanically hold said ringagainst rotation. A coil spring 54 loosely surrounds the barrel 45bearing at one side against the insulating washer 42 and at the otheragainst the contactrlng 50 so as to maintain thering 50 kin yieldingcontact throughout its circumference with the stationary contact ring46. It will be noted'that by means of the insulating Washers 42 and 44and the barrel 45, the contact rings 46 and 50 and also the spring 54are thoroughly insulated from all other parts of the reel. l

The current arriving by the cable 7 passes by one of the conductors 53to one of the conductors 51 and the ring 50, to the correspendingcontact ring 46, thence via the stud 47, to the conductor 48, to one or'the con- Vduetors Within the spindle 4, say the conductor 26, to thecontact ring 14, the brush 29, to the conductor 31 and to the utilizingdevice. Returning from the utilizing device, the current passes by theconductor 30, brush 28, contact ring 12, conductor 25, the otherconductor 48, to the corresponding contact ring 46, corresponding ring5U and conduct-ors 51 and 53 to the cable 7 and back to the source oi2supply.

Each of the side plates 41 is provided with an outwardly extending'barrel or housing' 55 extending toward and cooperating with thehousingplate 43 so as to enclose the bearings and the contact rings on thereel. These parts are thus protected against accidental injury and theaccumulation of dust and dirt thereon. The 11p-rights 36 inav havemounted thereon brackets 56 carrying a cable guide 57 adapted to guide.the free part of the cable 7, so that it will pass on to the reel fromany direction. The guide 57 also serves to turn the reel on its spindle4 when the direction of approach of the cable is out of line with thereel.

A pair of spiral springs 58 are each fixed at their inner ends to theaxle 37 and at their outerends to a cross-bolt 59 joining the sideplates 41. A plate or diaphragm 60I is placed on the axle 37 and betweenthe springs 58 so as to prevent the various con.- volutions of thesprings from interfering with each other. The cable is first all woundon the reel so that upon being unwound, the springs 58 will be tensionedso as to maintain a corresponding tension on the cable to rereel thesame Whenever there is any tendency for it to slaclen. In thisway theunreeled portion of the cable is always maintained taut in whateverposition the truck may be with respect to the current supply.

It is obvious that various changes may b made in details withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention; it is, therefore, to be'understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specificdetails shown and described.

Having thus described the what is claimed is:

1. A 'cable reel, comprising, a carrier, a drum mounted for rotationthereon, means for winding a conductor on said drum, a

invention,

eontaet ring rigidly mounted on but insulated from said carrier, aContact ring mounted on but insulated from said drum to move therewith,and means for maintaining said rings in yielding engagement during therotation of said drum.

2. A cable reel, comprising, a carrier, a drum mounted for rotationthereon, means for winding a conductor on said drum, a Contact ringrigidly mounted on but insulated from said carrier, a Contact ringmounted on but insulated from said drum to move therewith, and aninsulated spring adapted to maintain said rings in yielding engagementduring the rotation of said drum.

3. A cable reel, comprising, a carrier, a drum mounted `for rotationthereon,a bearing for said drum, a Contact ring mounted on hut insulatedfrom said Carrier, an insulated barrel surrounding said bearing andengaging said ring, a Contact ring mounted on said barrel and insulatedfrom but adapted to move with said drum, and means for maintaining saidrings in yielding en gagement during the rotation of said' drum.

4i. A cable reel, comprising, a carrier, a drum mounted t'or rotationthereon, a bearing for said drum, a Contact ring mounted on butinsulated from said carrier, an insulated barrel surrounding saidbearing and engaging said ring, a Contact ring mounted on said barreland insulated from but adapted to move with said drum, and an insulatedspring on said barrel adapted to maintain said rings in yieldingengagement during the rotation of said drum.

5. A cable reel, comprising, a carrier, a drum mounted for rotationthereon, means for winding a conductor on said drum, a Contact rigidlymounted on lout insulated from said Carrier, a -eooperating Contactmounted on but insulated from said drum and movable therewith, means formaintain ing said contacts in engagement with each other during therotation of the drum, and a housing for said contacts.

6. A Cable reel, comprising, a carrier, a drum mounted for rotationthereon, means for winding a conductor on said drum, a Contact mountedon but insulated from said carrier, a cooperating Contact mounted on butinsulated from said drum and movable therewith, means for maintainingsaid contacts in engagement With each other during the rotation of thedrum, a housing on said drum, and a housing on said carrier cooperatingwith said first housing to enclose said rings.

7. A cable reel, comprising, a standard, a spindle revolubly mounted onsaid standard and Carrying a cable drum, a Contact on said standard, aContact ring on said spindle, and an insulated clamping ring adapted tosupport said Contact ring.

8. A cable reel, comprising, a standard, a spindle revoluhly mounted onsaid standard and carrying a cable drum, a Contact on said standard, aContact ring on said spindle, and an insulated Clamping ring having arecess adapted toreeeive and support said .Contact ring.

9. 'eahle reel, eomprising,.a standard, a spindle revoluhly mounted onsaid standard and carrying a cable drum, a Contact on said standard, aContact ring on said spindle, an insulated clamping ring adapted tosupport said eontaet ring, a carrier on said spindle, a drum mounted forrotation on said earrier, means for winding a conductor on said drum, aContact ring mounted on but insulated from said carrier, a Contact ringmounted on but insulated from said drum to move therewith, and means formaintaining said rings in yielding engagement during the rotation ofsaid drum.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature this 21st day of July, 1923.

' ILLIAM E. NEVNAM.

